‘What’s green, simple to implement, significantly increases your patients’ safety, and cuts your costs?’
The NHS drugs bill is rising every year. There are ongoing projects trying to identify ways in which ‘medicines management’ can be made more effective and efficient.
The patients’ medicines bag (PMB) was developed by a team at Nottingham University Hospital Trust led by Mary Green. Put simply, the PMB is a heavy gauge polythene bag into which a patient places all their medication before entering hospital or visiting their GP. The PMB – and the guidance notes which help NHS Trusts implement the PMB system – facilitates quicker and more accurate hospital admissions, allows patients to self-administer drugs on the ward, and reduces duplication and over-prescribing.
The objective of the direct mail campaign was to build on the existing base of 40 trusts which had adopted the PMB acros the UK. A distinctive ‘green’ mailer – ‘Open to new ideas?’ - was produced to grab attention and initial interest was established through a series of quotes on the reverse. As the recipient opened the mailer, the story of the benefits of the PMB unfolded to create ‘desire’. The call to action was an offer of 100 free PMBs which could be ordered by phone or via a website – www.medicine-bag.co.uk – created specifically to support the direct mail campaign.
Using contact data supplied by medical specialists, Binleys, the mailer was sent to 1,500 contacts including Trust Chief Executives, Strategic Health Authorities, and Chief Pharmacists
